U.S. patent number 9,197,042 [Application Number 13/976,656] was granted by the patent office on 2015-11-24 for wire harness and method of manufacturing wire harness.
This patent grant is currently assigned to YAZAKI CORPORATION. The grantee listed for this patent is Eiichi Toyama. Invention is credited to Eiichi Toyama.
United States Patent |
9,197,042 |
Toyama |
November 24, 2015 |
Wire harness and method of manufacturing wire harness
Abstract
A wire harness includes: one or more conductive paths; and an
outer member that includes a plurality of leading outer members,
each having a tubular shape that passes along the one or more
conductive paths; and a watercrosslinkable fixing member or a
photocrosslinkable fixing member that bonds adjacent leading outer
members of the plurality of leading outer members which are
separate away from each other in a longitudinal direction of the
one or more conductive paths.
Inventors: |
Toyama; Eiichi (Kosai,
JP) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Toyama; Eiichi |
Kosai |
N/A |
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
YAZAKI CORPORATION (Tokyo,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
45531918 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/976,656 |
Filed: |
December 28, 2011 |
PCT
Filed: |
December 28, 2011 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/JP2011/080598 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
June 27, 2013 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2012/091174 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
July 05, 2012 |
Prior Publication Data
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|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20130306371 A1 |
Nov 21, 2013 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 28, 2010 [JP] |
|
|
2010-292021 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02G
3/0406 (20130101); B60R 16/0215 (20130101); H02G
3/0641 (20130101); B60R 16/0207 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H02G
3/04 (20060101); B60R 16/02 (20060101); H02G
3/06 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;174/72A,72R,68.1,68.3,21R,22C,93 ;439/207 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1 440 834 |
|
Jul 2004 |
|
EP |
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4-210182 |
|
Jul 1992 |
|
JP |
|
8-249933 |
|
Sep 1996 |
|
JP |
|
2002-281646 |
|
Sep 2002 |
|
JP |
|
2004-224156 |
|
Aug 2004 |
|
JP |
|
2008-226587 |
|
Sep 2008 |
|
JP |
|
2010-45900 |
|
Feb 2010 |
|
JP |
|
2005/042858 |
|
May 2005 |
|
WO |
|
2005/106305 |
|
Nov 2005 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
Search Report dated May 22, 2012 issued in International
Application No. PCT/JP2011/080598 (PCT/ISA/210). cited by applicant
.
Written Opinion dated May 22, 2012 issued in International
Application No. PCT/JP2011/080598 (PCT/ISA/237). cited by applicant
.
Office Action dated Aug. 5, 2014 issued by the Japanese Patent
Office in counterpart Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-292021.
cited by applicant .
Office Action, Issued by the State Intellectual Property Office of
P. R. China, Dated Dec. 31, 2014, In counterpart Chinese
Application No. 201180063624.2. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Patel; Dhirubhai R
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sughrue Mion, PLLC
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A wire harness, comprising: one or more conductive paths; and an
outer member that includes a plurality of leading outer members,
each having a tubular shape that circumscribes the one or more
conductive paths, the leading outer members being spaced from each
other along a longitudinal direction of the one or more conductive
paths; and a watercrosslinkable fixing member or a
photocrosslinkable fixing member that contacts and bonds adjacent
end portions of the plurality of leading outer members.
2. The wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the
watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable fixing
member is formed as a bending part of one of the outer members.
3. The wire harness according to claim 1, further comprising: an
electromagnetic shield member that covers almost entire length of
the one or more conductive paths, wherein the watercrosslinkable
fixing member or the photocrosslinkable fixing member is contacted
with the electromagnetic shield member.
4. A method of manufacturing a wire harness, comprising: a first
process of passing a plurality of leading outer members, each
having a tubular shape along one or more conductive paths such that
the leading outer members are spaced from each other in a
longitudinal direction of the one or more conductive paths and
circumscribe the one or more conductive paths; and a second process
of bonding adjacent end portions of the plurality of leading outer
members with a watercrosslinkable fixing member or a
photocrosslinkable fixing member.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second process is
performed during an arrangement operation of the wire harness after
the wire harness is transported.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a wire harness including one or
more conductive paths and an outer member that covers the
conductive paths, and to a method of manufacturing the wire
harness.
BACKGROUND ART
A wire harness disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes three high
voltage cables and three metal protection pipes that receive and
protect the three respective high voltage cables. The high voltage
cable is provided to connect a motor that is mounted at a front
part of a vehicle to an inverter that is mounted at an intermediate
part or a rear part of the vehicle.
The wire harness is arranged through a floor body of the vehicle
that is outside of a vehicle frame. Thus, the metal protection pipe
is formed to protect the high voltage cable from stone bounce or
water splash. The metal protection pipe has a stiffness to protect
the high voltage cable from stone bounce or water splash and to
prevent the high voltage cable from bending. The metal protection
pipe also has an electromagnetic shield function since it is made
of metal.
The wire harness is manufactured by inserting the three high
voltage cables into the respective metal protection pipes in a
straight state, and then bending the metal protection pipes along
an arrangement route of the wire harness at the floor body of the
vehicle. The wire harness is manufactured as described above in a
factory of a harness manufacturer, transported to an assembly
factory of a vehicle manufacturer and assembled in a predetermined
position of the vehicle. Accordingly, the wire arrangement is
completed.
CITATION LIST
Patent Literature
Patent Literature 1: JP-A-2004-224156
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Technical Problem
In the above described related art, there is a problem in that when
the wire harness is transported, in order to prevent the metal
protection pipes from coming into contact with each other or
deforming, sufficient space is required to secure for each metal
protection pipe and each wire harness. In addition, there is a
problem in that since the metal protection pipe is bent in three
dimensions, it is necessary to secure three dimensional spaces.
To solve the above described problems, a bendable tube may be used
as a substitute member of the metal protection pipe. However, only
what the bendable tube is used as the substitute member of the
metal protection pipe makes it difficult to solve various problems
as described below.
In other words, using the tube that has only a bendable property
remains a problem in that when the wire harness is assembled and
arranged or after the wire harness is arranged, it is difficult to
maintain the wire harness in a desired shape. In addition, if the
desired shape is difficult to be maintained, it is necessary to
add, for example, a protector when the tube is assembled at a
predetermined position of a vehicle. Since the protector is a
member that is formed by resin molding in line with the arrangement
route, the protector must be a dedicated member in a dedicated
design for each of vehicles, and also the versatility is decreased
and the cost is increased.
Since a trial mold is made for the protector many times in the
development stage, a design cost, a molding cost, a design time or
the like may be high/increased. In addition, since a portion of the
protector that is assembled into the tube becomes large sized, the
protector may be close to the ground.
In addition, there is a problem in that since the metal protection
pipe may be crushed when a bending process is performed on the
metal protection pipe by a bending machine or the like, and if it
is crushed, the high voltage cable inside thereof is damaged by
stress.
The present invention has been made considering the above described
situation, and an object thereof is to provide a wire harness and a
method of manufacturing the wire harness that is bendable and
holdable in a desired shape, without a complicated structure like a
protector, thereby suppressing the costs.
Solution to Problem
In order to solve the above described problem, a wire harness
according to a first aspect of the invention includes one or more
conductive paths; and an outer member that includes a plurality of
leading outer members, each having a tubular shape that passes
along the one or more conductive paths; and a watercrosslinkable
fixing member or a photocrosslinkable fixing member that bonds
adjacent leading outer members of the plurality of leading outer
members which are separate away from each other in a longitudinal
direction of the one or more conductive paths.
According to the first aspect of the invention, the wire harness
includes one or more conductive paths and the outer member. The
outer member includes a plurality of the leading outer members,
each having the tubular shape, and the leading outer member passes
along the one or more conductive paths. Before the
watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable fixing
member is successively provided, the adjacent leading outer members
permit bending of the conductive paths between them. The
watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable fixing
member is a member that is hardened or cross-linked by fluid or
light, and when the member is hardened, the adjacent leading outer
members are bonded. In other words, the outer member becomes a
successive tube. The wire harness is held in a desired shape from
the bendable state.
In the wire harness according to a second aspect of the invention,
the watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable
fixing member may be formed as a bending portion of the outer
member.
According to the second aspect of the invention, the
watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable fixing
member that bonds the adjacent leading outer members becomes the
bending portion of the outer member. Thus, the wire harness is in a
state in which it is held in a desired shape including the bent
shape. In addition, when the watercrosslinkable fixing member or
the photocrosslinkable fixing member becomes the bending portion of
the outer member, the bending process using a bending machine, for
example, is not required. As a result, the stress of the conductive
path is not applied by the bending process. In addition, if the
bending machine is not required, large equipment is not present and
restrictions relating to the manufacture of the wire harness are
relieved. In other words, the wire harness may be manufactured in
any place.
In the wire harness according to a third aspect of the invention,
the watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable
fixing member may be directly contacted with the one or more
conductive paths.
Further, in the wire harness according to a fourth aspect of the
invention, the wire harness may include an electromagnetic shield
member that covers almost entire length of the one or more
conductive paths, and the watercrosslinkable fixing member or the
photocrosslinkable fixing member may be contacted with the
electromagnetic shield member.
According to the third or fourth aspect of the invention, when the
watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable fixing
member is hardened, the adjacent leading outer members are bonded
and the watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable
fixing member is closely contact to the conductive path. The
conductive path is in a holding state by hardening of the
watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable fixing
member.
In addition, in order to solve the above described problem, a
method of manufacturing a wire harness according to a fifth aspect
of the invention includes a first process of passing a plurality of
leading outer members, each having a tubular shape along one or
more conductive paths; and a second process of bonding adjacent
leading outer members of the plurality of leading outer members
which are separate away from each other in a longitudinal direction
of the one or more conductive paths by a watercrosslinkable fixing
member or a photocrosslinkable fixing member.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the first process
and the second process are performed in manufacturing of the wire
harness including one or more conductive paths and the outer
member.
In the method of manufacturing the wire harness according to a
sixth aspect of the invention, the second process may be performed
during the arrangement operation of the wire harness after the wire
harness is transported.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the wire harness is
manufactured considering a desired shape when the wire harness is
transported to an assembly factory of a vehicle manufacturer, for
example, and a desired shape when the wire harness is assembled at
a predetermined position of the vehicle.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
According to the first aspect, the outer member includes the
leading outer members having the tubular shape and the
watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable fixing
member that is hardened by fluid or light, so that the conductive
path can be bent between the adjacent leading outer members before
the watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable
fixing member is provided, and the wire harness can be held in a
desired shape after the watercrosslinkable fixing member or the
photocrosslinkable fixing member is provided and hardened. In
addition, according to the first aspect of the invention, since the
leading outer member and the watercrosslinkable fixing member or
the photocrosslinkable fixing member are used, the conductive path
is protected where the structure thereof is not as complicated as a
protector, and the cost may be suppressed. Further, according to
the first aspect of the invention, since the leading outer member
and the watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable
fixing member are used, the wire harness having high versatility
compared to the use of the protector can be provided.
According to the second aspect, the wire harness can be held in a
desired shape including the bent shape. In addition, according to
the second aspect, the wire harness having high versatility can be
provided by forming the watercrosslinkable fixing member or the
photocrosslinkable fixing member to the bending portion of the
outer member.
According to the third or fourth aspect, there is an advantage that
a further favorable embodiment of the wire harness can be
provided.
According to the fifth aspect, there is an advantage that the
method of manufacturing the wire harness can be provided further
favorably.
According to the sixth aspect, there is an advantage that the
manufacturing method can be provided considering the transportation
and assembly of the wire harness.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a schematic view illustrating an arrangement of a wire
harness according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 1B is a perspective view illustrating a state of firstly
passing a leading outer member having a tubular shape along a
conductive path.
FIG. 1C is a perspective view illustrating a state of bonding the
adjacent leading outer members by a photocrosslinkable fixing
member (or by a watercrosslinkable fixing member) for later
attachment.
FIG. 2A is a perspective view illustrating a state of repetitively
winding and bonding the narrow photocrosslinkable fixing member (or
the narrow watercrosslinkable fixing member).
FIG. 2B is a perspective view illustrating a state of rolling and
bonding the wide photocrosslinkable fixing member (or the wide
watercrosslinkable fixing member).
FIG. 2C is a perspective view illustrating a state when the
photocrosslinkable fixing member (or the watercrosslinkable fixing
member) is hardened or cross-linked.
FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating a case where another
example of a leading outer member and a photocrosslinkable fixing
member (or a watercrosslinkable fixing member) having
horizontally-long shape in cross-section is used.
FIG. 3B illustrates a case where a photocrosslinkable fixing member
(or a watercrosslinkable fixing member) having a cylinder shape and
a property of flexibility is used.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
A wire harness includes one or more conductive paths and includes a
plurality of leading outer members having a tubular shape as an
outer member of the conductive path; and adjacent leading outer
members are bonded by a watercrosslinkable fixing member or a
photocrosslinkable fixing member for later attachment. The wire
harness is configured such that the conductive path(s) may be bent
between the adjacent leading outer members before the
watercrosslinkable fixing member or the photocrosslinkable fixing
member are provided. The wire harness is held in a desired shape
from the bendable state when the watercrosslinkable fixing member
or the photocrosslinkable fixing member are hardened or
cross-linked and the adjacent leading outer members are bonded.
Embodiment
Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the
drawings. FIGS. 1A to 1C are diagrams of the wire harness according
to the embodiment. FIGS. 2A to 2C are diagrams showing the
photocrosslinkable fixing member. FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams
according to another example of a leading outer member and a
photocrosslinkable fixing member. In the embodiment, description
will be given according to an example of the wire harness of the
invention that is employed in a hybrid motor vehicle (may be also
in an electric vehicle).
In FIG. 1A, a hybrid motor vehicle 1 is a vehicle where the power
of an engine 2 and a motor unit 3 are mixed and drive the vehicle.
Electric power is supplied to the motor unit 3 through an inverter
unit 4 from a battery 5 (a battery pack). In the embodiment, the
engine 2, the motor unit 3 and the inverter unit 4 are mounted in
an engine room 6 where front wheels and the like are positioned. In
addition, the battery 5 is mounted in a rear part 7 of the vehicle
where rear wheels and the like are positioned. Alternatively, the
battery 5 may be mounted in an interior of the vehicle that is at
rear side of the engine room 6.
The motor unit 3 and the inverter unit 4 are connected by a known
high voltage wire harness 8. The battery 5 and the inverter unit 4
are connected by a wire harness 9 according to the embodiment. The
wire harness 9 is prepared for a high voltage. The wire harness 9
is configured such that an intermediate part 10 thereof is arranged
at the ground side of a floor body 11 of the vehicle. The floor
body 11 of the vehicle is a known body, a so-called panel member,
and a through hole (reference numeral is omitted) is penetrated
therethrough at a predetermined position.
The wire harness 9 and the battery 5 are connected through a
junction block 12 that is provided at the battery 5. A rear end 13
of the wire harness 9 is connected to the junction block 12 with a
connector. A side of the rear end 13 of the wire harness 9 is
arranged on or above the floor that is the interior side of the
vehicle. A side of a front end 14 of the wire harness 9 is also
arranged on or above the floor. The side of the front end 14 of the
wire harness 9 is connected to the inverter unit 4 with a
connector.
Here, supplementary explanation of the embodiment will be given.
The motor unit 3 includes a motor and a generator. In addition, the
inverter unit 4 includes an inverter and a converter. The motor
unit 3 is formed as a motor assembly including a shield casing. The
inverter unit 4 is also formed as an inverter assembly including a
shield casing. The battery 5 is a Ni--MH base battery or a Li-ion
base battery, and it is modulated. In addition, for example, an
electricity storage device such as a capacitor may be used. The
battery 5 is not specifically limited as long as it may be used in
the hybrid motor vehicle 1 or the electric vehicle.
The wire harness 9 is configured such that the intermediate part 10
thereof is arranged substantially in parallel along the floor body
11 of the vehicle. The wire harness 9 is configured such that the
intermediate part 10 thereof may be arranged so as to keep a
distance from the ground and then as described below, the structure
of the intermediate part 10 may be a structure of FIGS. 3A and 3B.
The wire harness 9 is configured in a low height structure by
keeping a distance from the ground.
First, the configuration and the structure of the wire harness 9
will be described. The wire harness 9 includes a conductive path
assembly 15 and an outer member 16 that is provided outside the
conductive path assembly 15. The conductive path assembly 15
includes two high voltage cables 17 and an electromagnetic shield
member 18 that integrally shields the two high voltage cables 17.
Each of the high voltage cable 17 is a conductive path including a
conductor and an insulator (coating), and is formed so as to have a
required length for electrical connection. The conductor is made of
copper, copper alloy, aluminum or aluminum alloy. Regarding the
conductor, a conductor structure that is formed by twisting element
wires, or a conductor structure of a rod shape of which a
cross-section is a rectangular shape or a round shape (for example,
a conductor structure is a rectangular single core or a round
single core, and in this case, the wire itself is also the round
rod shape) may be used. The high voltage cable 17 has a
configuration of a non-shielding electric wire. A connector 19 is
provided at an end of the high voltage cable 17.
Although the high voltage cable 17 is used in the embodiment, the
invention is not limited to the embodiment. In other words, a wire
including an insulator provided on a known bus bar may be used.
The electromagnetic shield member 18 is a member for
electromagnetic shielding (a member for a countermeasure against
electromagnetic waves) covering two high voltage cables 17. The
electromagnetic shield member 18 is formed in a tubular shape with
the shield member including a conductive metal sheet, or a single
body of a metal foil or the like. The electromagnetic shield member
18 has substantially the same length as the entire length of two
high voltage cables 17. The electromagnetic shield member 18 is
connected directly to the shield casing or the like of the inverter
unit 4 or indirectly through the connector 19.
Although the electromagnetic shield member 18 includes the metal
foil in the embodiment, the invention is not limited to the
embodiment. In other words, if the countermeasure against
electromagnetic waves is possible, for example, a braid having a
number of extremely fine strands may be used. The braid is formed
in a tubular shape having conductivity.
As described above, the electromagnetic shield member 18 is
provided because the high voltage cable 17 is a non-shielding
electric wire. In a case where the high voltage cable 17 is a known
shield electric wire, the invention is not limited to the
embodiment. That is, in this case, the electromagnetic shield
member 18 may not be provided.
The outer member 16 includes a plurality of leading outer members
20 (20a, 20b, 20c. . . ) and a plurality of photocrosslinkable
fixing members 21 (21a, 21b. . . , or the watercrosslinkable fixing
member) for later attachment that bonds the adjacent leading outer
members 20.
The leading outer member 20 has a tubular shape and is formed so as
to firstly pass along the conductive path assembly 15. In other
words, the conductive path assembly 15 includes the high voltage
cables 17 and the electromagnetic shield member 18 as the
conductive path so that the leading outer member 20 firstly passes
along them.
After the leading outer member 20 firstly passes along the
conductive path assembly 15, the adjacent leading outer members 20
allows bending of the conductive path assembly 15 at a portion of
arrow C between the adjacent leading outer members 20. The leading
outer member 20 may be adjusted in a length dimension so as to
allow the bending at a desired position.
The leading outer member 20 may be a shape so as only to firstly
pass along the conductive path assembly 15. Thus, the leading outer
member 20 may be a slightly bent tube. In other words, the
invention is not limited to the leading outer member 20 having a
straight tube and it may be the leading outer member 20 having a
bending tubular shape.
The leading outer member 20 may be formed by any one of metal and
resin. In the embodiment, the leading outer member 20 is formed by
extrusion molding of the resin material. In addition, the reason
that the leading outer member 20 is formed by resin is because
there is no need for the process of the corrosion-protection or
painting that is required in a case of using metal as well as the
leading outer member 20 may be easily formed in a desired length
when the extrusion molding is performed. In addition, the reason is
that a predetermined coloring that indicates a high voltage is
easily performed by coloring the resin material when molded.
Besides the above description, a corrugated tube or the like may be
exemplified as the leading outer member 20.
The photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the watercrosslinkable
fixing member) is a member that becomes finally a tube and bonds
the above-described adjacent leading outer members 20 successively.
The photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the watercrosslinkable
fixing member) is formed in a shape such as the straight tubular
shape or the bending tubular shape depending on the arrangement
route of the wire harness 9. When the photocrosslinkable fixing
member 21 (or the watercrosslinkable fixing member) successively
bonds the adjacent leading outer members 20 and is hardened or
cross-linked (described below), the outer member 16 is considered
as a successive tube. The photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or
the watercrosslinkable fixing member) is arranged at a
predetermined portion for example, shown in arrow A or B in FIG.
1A. The photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the
watercrosslinkable fixing member) may constitute a bending part 22
in the wire harness 9.
In FIGS. 1A to 2C, the photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the
watercrosslinkable fixing member) may be formed in a desired shape
when it is hardened or cross-linked. In other words, when it is
hardened or cross-linked, it becomes the outer member for later
attachment. The photocrosslinkable fixing members 21 (or the
watercrosslinkable fixing members) include a portion that is
hardened or cross-linked by light or fluid and a base where the
portion is formed integrally.
First, as a case of the hardening by light, the photocrosslinkable
fixing members 21 includes a hardening portion having a photo
irradiation surface and a base. The photocrosslinkable fixing
member 21 is a member that is hardened by a visible light 30 or a
dedicated illumination or the like. The hardening portion is
constituted of photocrosslinkable resin composition and is held by
dipping or the like with respect to the base. It is desirable that
the photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 be a member where the
hardening time thereof may be adjustable to instant hardening or
slow hardening. The photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 is
effective in a working environment where it is preferable not to
have liquid (fluid is not an issue in the actual usage
environment).
Next, as a case of the hardening by fluid, the watercrosslinkable
fixing member includes a hardening portion having a water absorbing
surface and a base. The watercrosslinkable fixing member is
hardened by ejection or dripping of fluid 31 or dipping or the like
in the liquid. The hardening portion is constituted of a
watercrosslinkable resin composition and it is held by dipping or
the like with respect to the base. As the base, glass wool, glass
fiber cloth, polyester cloth, non-woven cloth or the like may be
exemplified (may apply not only to the watercrosslinkable fixing
member but also to the photocrosslinkable fixing member 21, in
addition, glass fiber cloth and polyester cloth are suitable for
the dipping of knit weaving and has an advantage in that the
dipping is performed evenly without unevenness). In addition, as
the hardening portion, a watercrosslinkable urethane resin or the
like is exemplified. It is desirable that the watercrosslinkable
fixing member be capable of adjusting the hardening time similar to
the photocrosslinkable fixing member 21.
As described above, the photocrosslinkable fixing members 21 (or
the watercrosslinkable fixing members) may bond the adjacent
leading outer members 20 by winding or rolling. In other words,
when it is a tape (narrow) shape, as shown in FIG. 2A, it may be
bonded in a repetitive winding with the faculties of a tape
winding. In addition, when it is a sheet (wide) shape, as shown in
FIG. 2B, it may be bonded in a rolling. In FIGS. 2A and 2B, the
photocrosslinkable fixing members 21 (or the watercrosslinkable
fixing members) may be closely contacted with a portion of the
conductive path assembly 15 in accordance with the winding or
rolling (this is an example, and it may be not closely
contacted).
By the formation of the photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the
watercrosslinkable fixing member) in a desired thickness in advance
or the repetitive winding or rolling until reaching a desired
thickness, the strength of the photocrosslinkable fixing member 21
after hardened may be secured. In addition, the shape holding state
may be maintained by the security of the strength. Furthermore,
there may be a portion that is strong against for example, stone
bounce or the like due to the security of the strength.
A supply unit 32 that supplies the visible light 30, the dedicated
illumination or fluid 31 (see FIG. 2C) to harden the
photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the watercrosslinkable
fixing member) is arranged at the manufacturing site in tune with a
position that successively attaches the photocrosslinkable fixing
member 21 (or the watercrosslinkable fixing member). At the
manufacturing site, in order to harden the photocrosslinkable
fixing member 21 (or the watercrosslinkable fixing member) to a
desired shape, the working property becomes good by using a jig or
a molding.
Next, the manufacture of the wire harness 9 will be described based
on the above-described configuration and the structure.
In FIGS. 1A to 2C, a required number of the leading outer members
20 having a desired entire length is prepared and after that, each
of the leading outer members 20 passes along the conductive path
assembly 15. Thus, when the connector 19 is provided at the end of
the high voltage cable 17 that configures the conductive path
assembly 15, the manufacture of the wire harness 9 is completed
before transportation. After the leading outer member 20 firstly
passes, the adjacent leading outer members 20 allow the bending of
the conductive path assembly 15 at the portion of the arrow C
between the leading outer members 20 so that the wire harness 9
that is manufactured as described above may be set in a state of
easily being transported, for example, it may be wound.
The wire harness 9 is accommodated in a box (not shown) and
transported to for example, an assembly factory of a vehicle
manufacturer, and after that, the wire harness 9 is taken out from
the box and is set in a state of easily being handled at the
manufacturing site. Thus, if the adjacent leading outer members 20
are bonded using the photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the
watercrosslinkable fixing member), and also the portion where the
photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the watercrosslinkable
fixing member) is provided is formed in a desired shape; and then
the visible light 30, the dedicated illumination or fluid 31 is
supplied, the photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the
watercrosslinkable fixing member) is hardened or cross-linked.
Thus, the outer member 16 is formed as the successive tube so that
the manufacturing of the wire harness 9 is completed. After that,
when the wire harness 9 is assembled and fixed at the floor body 11
of the vehicle or the like, and when the electrical connection or
the like is performed, the arrangement is completed.
In addition, before the transportation, the photocrosslinkable
fixing members 21 (or the watercrosslinkable fixing members) may be
wound so that the adjacent leading outer members 20 are bonded.
This is because the photocrosslinkable fixing members 21 (or the
watercrosslinkable fixing members) may allow the bending at the
portion only if it is before the hardening.
In the above-described embodiment, although the outer member 16 is
formed as the tubular shape, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, it may be
formed as a rectangular shape in cross-section (the rectangular
shape in cross-section such as long circle, oval, oblong or the
like). In FIG. 3A, an outer member 16' includes a plurality of
leading outer members 20' (20a', 20b' . . . ) having a rectangular
shape in cross-section and a plurality of photocrosslinkable fixing
members 21' (21a' . . . , or a plurality of watercrosslinkable
fixing members) for later attachment that successively bonds the
adjacent leading outer members 20'. The conductive path assembly
15' that is protected by the outer member 16' includes two high
voltage cables 17 and two low voltage cables 23, and an
electromagnetic shield member 18' that integrally shields the high
voltage cables 17 and the low voltage cables 23. As shown in FIG.
3B, each of the photocrosslinkable fixing members 21' (or the
watercrosslinkable fixing members) is formed so as to have the
tubular shape and property of flexibility at least in a radial
direction. The photocrosslinkable fixing members 21' (or the
watercrosslinkable fixing members) are widened in the radial
direction and passed during the widening state so that the
attachment relating to the bonding may be performed. A reference
numeral 22' is a bending part.
In the above-described embodiment, although the wire harness 9 is
formed without a branch portion, the branch portion may be formed
to be drawn out at a desired position. Thus, the photocrosslinkable
fixing member 21 (or the watercrosslinkable fixing members) is
provided so as to cover an exposed portion of the branch portion
when the branch portion is taken out and it may be hardened.
Hereinabove, as described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 3B,
according to the embodiment, there is an advantage in that since
the outer member 16 includes the leading outer member 20 having the
tubular shape, the watercrosslinkable fixing member or the
photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 that is hardened or
cross-linked by fluid or light is used, and the conductive path
assembly 15 may be bent between the adjacent leading outer members
20 before the watercrosslinkable fixing member or the
photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 is provided, secure of large
space is not required during the transportation of the wire harness
9, as a result, there is an advantage in that space saving and low
cost may be achieved in the transportation.
In addition, according to the embodiment, there is an advantage in
that since the photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the
watercrosslinkable fixing member) is hardened and then the wire
harness 9 may be held in a desired shape, the shape may be held
without using the protector. Furthermore, according to the
embodiment, there is an advantage in that since the outer member 16
is configured of the leading outer member 20 and the
photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the watercrosslinkable
fixing member), the conductive path assembly 15 is protected
without complicating the structure thereof as much as the protector
and then the cost reduction is promoted.
Furthermore, according to the embodiment, there is an advantage in
that since the outer member 16 is configured of the leading outer
member 20 and the photocrosslinkable fixing member 21 (or the
watercrosslinkable fixing member), the wire harness 9 having high
versatility compared to the usage of the protector is provided.
The invention may be variously modified without departing from the
gist of the invention.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No.
2010-292021 filed on Dec. 28, 2010, the contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
1: hybrid motor vehicle
2: engine
3: motor unit
4: inverter unit
5: battery
6: engine room
7: rear part of vehicle
8: high voltage wire harness
9: wire harness
10: intermediate part
11: floor body of vehicle
12: junction block
13: rear end
14: front end
15: conductive path assembly
16: outer member
17: high voltage cable (conductive path)
18: electromagnetic shield member
19: connector
20: leading outer member
21: photocrosslinkable fixing member (or watercrosslinkable fixing
member)
22: bending part
23: low voltage cable (conductive path)
30: visible light
31: fluid
32: supply unit
* * * * *